


A New Day

by Aurelia_Combeferre



Series: A Life Worthwhile [4]
Category: Les Misérables - All Media Types
Genre: Depression, EnjonineWeek2018, F/M, Morning, Rain, Recovery, enjonine - Freeform, prompt 4 a little fall of rain
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-01
Updated: 2018-08-01
Packaged: 2019-06-19 20:42:58
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 756
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15518196
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Aurelia_Combeferre/pseuds/Aurelia_Combeferre
Summary: It's just one of those mornings again when Enjolras has to help his partner pull through.





	A New Day

**Author's Note:**

> A/N: Prompt 4: A Little Fall of Rain  
> Trigger warning for some mention of depression

**A New Day**

There comes a morning when Enjolras wakes alone, yet finds the other side of the bed still warm. Before he can panic, he catches sight Eponine’s phone still on the bedside table, with the alarm shut off instead of on ‘snooze’ for once. ‘ _How long has she been up?’_ he wonders as he feels her pillow, which is still slightly warm.

The patter of rain on the windowpane snaps Enjolras out of his reverie, more so when he realizes that he cannot hear Eponine’s footsteps heading back to their apartment. He snatches up one of her jackets from where she has thrown it over a chair. “You stay here, Schrodinger,” he admonishes the black cat still dozing on the arm of the sofa.  

In response, Schrodinger merely yowls sleepily and flicks his tail, as if to tell Enjolras, “Yeah, go do what you have to do.”

For good measure, Enjolras closes the door; the last thing he wants now is to go on a mad cat chase in the middle of a downpour. He notes that Eponine’s shoes and rainboots are still by the doorway, meaning that wherever she is, she’s still barefoot. ‘ _And probably cold by now’_ he thinks as he gets the elevator and heads for the rooftop.

It’s one of the places his landlord never told him about but left him to discover for himself.

The crisp smell of water in the air banishes the last vestiges of sleep as soon as Enjolras steps out of the elevator. At any other time, this would have been invigorating, but today it only fuels his sense of urgency. The concrete is cold even through his slippers, but that does not stop him from venturing forward, towards the figure seated on the railings enclosing the building’s water tank.

Eponine turns when he is but an arm’s length away from her. Her eyes are red-rimmed and her hair is still disheveled. Just as he suspected, she is clad in only the long shirt and shorts she wore to sleep the night before. “Did I wake you?” she asks, her voice still raspy from what little sleep she’s been able to catch.  

“No, not really,” Enjolras says as he sits next to her and drapes her jacket over her shoulders. He feels her sag, almost sink into his touch, and that’s his cue to simply take her hand. ‘ _Not yet,’_ he reminds himself. She’s the one who sets the tone after all on most days.  

Her fingers close around his as if for dear life. “I thought that getting an early start to the day would help. It’s not as easy as it looks even with the meds.”

There is so much he wants to say: ‘ _You’ll be okay, we’ll get through it together, this too shall pass,’_ but none of it seems right in this moment. Instead, he slips an arm around her as she inches closer to him and rests her cheek against his chest.  He feels her breathing grow less ragged as he holds her close, even as her tears mingle with the rain soaking his shirt.

For a long time they stay silent, merely watching the raindrops slashing through the air and leaving dark spots on the pavement. Slowly the first glimmers of dawn start to pierce the cloud cover, turning each raindrop into gold. A few round drops catch in Eponine’s hair and rest on the tip of her nose. As Enjolras reaches out to brush the water away, a smile tugs at Eponine’s lips “I love you, Miguel,” she whispers, catching his hand as it caresses the curve of her jaw.

Enjolras feels his breath catch, and it’s not only because of how she has said his given name. In her words is a hope, a promise, and so much more than he can dare to put into words. He affirms this when he cradles her face for a moment before kissing her. The smell of rainwater mixed with her own sweet scent is intoxicating, more so when she pulls him closer to return the kiss. In that moment he knows she is back; wounded but very much healing in the only way she knows how.  

“I’m here, Ep,” he says against her lips when they finally come up for air. ‘ _I’ll never leave you to face the world alone, for as long as you’ll have me.’_

In that moment Eponine’s smile finally brightens even as she takes both of his hands in hers. “I’ll hold you to that.”


End file.
